NEW YORK — In the course of a pregame explanation of why he’s not a big fan of certain defensive statistics — like, say, the one that says his Knicks finished 19th in points allowed per possession during the regular season, the lowest defensive rating in his three seasons in New York — Tom Thibodeau was gracious enough to offer some insight on which numbers he does look at when evaluating the quality of a defense.
“The rating systems that some people use, I don't go by,” Thibodeau told reporters before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday.